The World Channel was on fire, which was ironic, considering the world outside was frozen solid.
Chen Chen sat on his wooden bed, scrolling through the holographic projection of the chat interface. His recent upgrade to the Level 2 Stone Fortress had sent shockwaves through the regional survivor group.
"Did you hear that rumble? It sounded like a mountain collapsing!"
"It came from the Southeast. I swear I saw a golden light."
"It's Chen Chen. He posted that trade for 100 Stone. He actually upgraded. While we are living in wooden shacks, he's living in a castle."
"Snow Wolves, where are you? Aren't you going to 'sanction' him?"
"Shut up! Don't provoke the Wolves. But seriously, how does one person get so many resources?"
Chen Chen took a bite of a chocolate bar, his expression calm. He had become a celebrity or perhaps a raid boss in the eyes of the other 8,842 survivors.
But fame didn't wash away the grime.
He sniffed his shirt. It smelled of woodsmoke, boar grease, stale sweat, and spider blood. He had been wearing the same clothes for three days while doing heavy manual labor. His skin felt sticky and itchy.
"I have a heater. I have food. But I feel like a savage," Chen Chen muttered.
He opened the [Trading Mall]. He wasn't interested in wood or stone right now. He filtered his search: [Blueprint].
Most listings were garbage. [Wooden Chair Blueprint], [Simple Torch Blueprint]. Things he could figure out himself.
But then, his eyes locked onto a new listing.
[Seller: Plumber_Mario]
[Trade Item: Blueprint - Simple Shower System]
[Requirement: Food. Real food. Not berries.]
[Seller's Note: I opened a Copper Chest. I don't need a shower. I need to not starve.]
Chen Chen sat up straight. A shower. In a survival game, hygiene is usually overlooked until you get an infection from a scratch because your skin is covered in filth. Or until your morale hits zero because you feel sub-human. He looked at the blueprint details.
Allows the construction of a gravity-fed water tank and nozzle. Can be connected to a heating source.
"Perfect."
He checked the seller's requirement. Food.
Chen Chen had plenty of meat, but he decided to check the competition first. He wasn't the only one with resources, even if he was the richest.
He tapped on the bid history.
[Bidder: ForestKing] offers: 500g Frozen Rat Meat. System Score: 120.
[Bidder: SnowWolf_Beta] offers: 1kg Frozen Wolf Meat. System Score: 250.
[Bidder: RichKid] offers: Pack of stale crackers. System Score: 50.
"System Score?" Chen Chen raised an eyebrow.
It seemed the Trading Mall had updated with a valuation algorithm to prevent scams and help sellers choose.
The current highest bid was from the Snow Wolves. 250 points.
"They want the blueprint too?" Chen Chen scoffed. "Probably to wash the blood off their hands."
He couldn't let them have it. Not because he was petty (he was), but because letting his enemies improve their quality of life was bad strategy.
He opened his inventory. He still had some of the [Fried Boar Meat] left over from his cooking session. He placed a bid.
[Bidder: Chen Chen]
[Offer: 600g Fried Boar Meat (Seasoned with salt and fat) + 500ml Filtered Water.]
He watched the screen.
The System Score calculated for a second, then updated.
System Score: 1,800.
It crushed the competition. It wasn't even close. Cooked, high-calorie food and clean water were basically legendary items in this economy.
Ding!
[System: Seller Plumber_Mario has accepted your bid instantly.]
[You have obtained: Blueprint - Simple Shower System.]
"Too easy," Chen Chen grinned.
He immediately learned the blueprint. The knowledge of piping, pressure, and tank construction flooded his mind.
He went to his Workbench.
[Simple Shower System]
Iron Ingot x4
Copper x2
Plastic/Rubber x2 (He had plenty from the 7-Eleven run)
Stone x5 (For the base)
He crafted it.
Ten minutes later, a crude but functional shower stall stood in the corner of his fortress, right next to the heater. He rigged the tank to sit on top of the heater casing, allowing the ambient heat and the Elemental Core's radiation to warm the water.
He filled the tank with melted snow.
He stripped off his grimy clothes, stepped onto the stone base, and pulled the lever.
Warm water cascaded down.
"Oh... oh my god."
Chen Chen leaned his head against the stone wall, letting the water rinse away three days of stress. It wasn't a high-pressure spa jet, but it was warm, and it was wet.
He scrubbed himself clean with a piece of cloth.
When he stepped out and dried off with his [Wool Blanket], he felt like a new man. His stamina bar, which had been capped at 80% due to "Poor Hygiene" debuff, shot back up to 100%.
[Status Effect: Refreshed. Stamina recovery +10% for 4 hours.]
He put on his clothes (which he had shaken out) and sat back on his bed.
"Now, let's see what I bought with all that stone."
He opened the [Shelter Status] panel to admire his Level 2 Fortress.
[Shelter: Stone Outpost (Level 2)]
[Owner: Chen Chen]
[Area: 60㎡]
[Integrity: 200/200]
[Insulation: Excellent]
[System Comment: Congratulations on upgrading from a coffin to a mausoleum. It's sturdy, cold, and made of rock. Hope you installed ventilation, or you'll be the best-preserved mummy in history.]
Chen Chen's eye twitched.
"Who programmed this AI? Why is it so salty?"
He ignored the snark and looked at the upgrade path.
[Next Level: Reinforced Stone Fort (Level 3)]
[Requirements: Stone x500, Iron Ingot x50, Copper x20, Elemental Core x1.]
"500 Stone," Chen Chen sighed, feeling the headache return.
He had just spent 100 Stone to get here. Now the game wanted 500?
He checked his inventory.
Stone: 0.
He looked at the [Courtyard] construction tab.
Perimeter Wall (Basic): Stone x10 per meter.
To build a decent wall around his cabin to stop the Snow Wolves from just walking up to his door, he needed at least 200 Stone.
"I can't keep buying it," Chen Chen realized. "The market is drying up. People are hoarding stone for their own upgrades."
He had to get it himself. Or... he had to find a faster way to mine.
Or, he had to kill something big enough that the crate dropped a massive amount of resources.
He remembered the Frostclaw Bear (Level 4) he had seen yesterday at twilight.
Level 4 creatures were dangerous. The Ice Golem (Level 5) had nearly killed him, and he only won because of the trap.
But he had the Crossbow now.
He walked to the window. The heavy iron bars blocked some of the view, but they made him feel secure.
Through the bars, he scanned the horizon. The sun was high. Visibility was good.
About 400 meters away, near the edge of the sparse frozen forest, a massive white shape was tearing apart a tree stump.
[Frostclaw Bear]
[Level: 4]
[Status: Foraging]
Chen Chen grabbed his crossbow and a quiver of 20 Iron Bolts.
"You want to eat bark?" Chen Chen whispered, checking the tension on his bowstring. "How about you eat steel instead?"
He equipped his [Frost-Resistant Boots] and the [Stone Skin Poncho] (which he had finally crafted using the boar leather).
He unlocked the heavy stone door. It swung open with a reassuringly heavy creak. He stepped out.
The wind hit him, but after the warm shower and the hot meal, he felt invincible.
He moved quietly, keeping low. The snow crunched under his boots, but the wind masked the sound.
300 meters.
200 meters.
He found a large rock to use as cover. He rested the crossbow on the stone, aiming through the simple iron sight.
The bear was huge. Standing on its hind legs, it was easily three meters tall. Its claws were like obsidian daggers.
Chen Chen took a deep breath.
Aim for the eye. Or the neck.
He lined up the shot.
The crossbow bucked against his shoulder. The bolt flew true, a blur of grey against the white snow.
It hit the bear in the shoulder, burying itself deep.
The bear dropped to all fours, snapping the bolt shaft with its jaws in a blind rage. It spun around, its red eyes scanning the landscape.
It spotted Chen Chen instantly.
"Damn, it's tanky," Chen Chen cursed. He cranked the crossbow, reloading.
The bear charged. It was terrifyingly fast for something that size, kicking up a blizzard of snow in its wake.
He aimed again.
The second bolt hit the bear in the snout.
The bear didn't stop. It shook its head, blood spraying, and kept coming.
100 meters.
"Okay, now I'm worried."
Chen Chen fired a third shot. It hit the chest. No effect.
The bear was 50 meters away. Chen Chen could smell its rotten breath.
He fired a fourth shot, then dropped the crossbow. There was no time to reload.
He grabbed his [Iron-Tipped Spear] and his [Shield].
"Come on!" he yelled, bracing his feet against the ice.
The bear leaped, its massive paw swiping down like a falling building.
Chen Chen raised his shield.
The impact sent him sliding backward five meters. His arm felt like it had snapped. The shield groaned but held.
The bear loomed over him, roaring, ready to deliver the killing bite.
But as it opened its jaws, Chen Chen saw the opportunity.
He thrust the spear upward, putting all his weight, all his fear, and all his anger into the strike.
The spear drove up, under the jaw, and into the brain.
The bear went rigid. Its massive weight collapsed on top of Chen Chen, pinning him into the snow.
[System: You have killed Level 4 Frostclaw Bear.]
[Experience +100]
Ding!
A golden light pierced through the heavy fur covering Chen Chen's face.
"Get off me..." Chen Chen wheezed, shoving the carcass aside.
He crawled out, gasping for air, clutching his bruised arm.
Floating above the bear was not a Wooden Chest. Not a Copper Chest. Not a Silver Chest.
It was glowing with a brilliant, lustrous yellow light.
[Gold Treasure Chest].
Chen Chen lay in the snow, staring at the chest, a maniacal laugh bubbling up from his chest.
"I love this game."